Books you may like to hear about

[Lvandelft]

Going Wild for Tulips

For anyone with an interest in wild tulips pictured in nature I can thoroughly recommend this little booklet by Eric Breed.
There are 42 species beautiful photographed in their habitat in for instance Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, but also in Crete and Switzerland.
The photos are made over several years by Eric Breed, Wim Lemmers, Marijn van den Brink, Sjaak de Groot, Arie Peterse and most trips were guided by Vladimir Kolbintsjev.
The price of this little booklet is € 9,95 excl. p. p.
 Details on ordering etc. can be obtained from Eric Breed: info@tulippictures.eu

[Maggi Young]

"Peter Korns Garden : giving plants what they want"

The English version of Peter's book is now available,  see here for more info :
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=10656.0

I have bought it   - if you read Swedish, buy the Swedish version- but do buy it!

[David Shaw]

Calling all Neo-galanthophiles (apparently Galathophiles lived in the 19th C ).
Better late than never, Freda Cox's' book 'A gardeners Guide to Snowdrops' (Crowood Press) has finally hit the shelves. It covers just about everything to do with snowdrops from their history, how to grow them, descriptions of species and varieties, snowdrop people etc, etc. To my mind it is good value at £35 and the only thing that might put you off is the pictures of a couple of Forumists!
It will be available for viewing at the Discussion W/E and the AGM.

[Maggi Young]

I've heard from Karen Platt - devotee of Black Plants  etc, that she has a special discount on offer

Karen writes : Don't miss our exclusive offer - 50 percent discount on all printed books whilst stocks last. Extra 5 per cent off if order received by 27 Sept 2013. Send your enquiry today - excellent for Xmas or your garden club.
Contact me now to place your order on the email below.

Author of multi-edition garden books.

http://www.karenplatt.co.uk/50-percent-book-offer/
k@karenplatt.co.uk

------------------------
Karen Platt
35 Longfield Road, Crookes
Sheffield, S10 1QW
Tel: +44 (0) 114 268 1700
www.karenplatt.co.uk

Latest ebooks
The Seed Search 8th ed
Black Iris
Lavenders
4th edition Black Magic and Purple Passion -650 new black plants
The best of Black Plants
Tulips
Fruit Cocktail - fabulous orange, apricot and peach tones for the garden
2,000 Tomatoes
The Seed Search 7th edition


Titles in print
Lifestyle Gardening ISBN 0954576462 - get the look, the style, make the garden
Black Magic and Purple Passion ISBN 095457642X
Gold Fever ISBN 0954576411
Silver Lining ISBN 0954576438
Emeralds ISBN 0954576446


Seed Search 5th Edition ISBN 095288108X
Seed Sowing & Growing Success ISBN 0954576403
Plant Synonyms ISBN 0954576454

[FrazerHenderson]

Going Wild for Tulips

For anyone with an interest in wild tulips pictured in nature I can thoroughly recommend this little booklet by Eric Breed.
There are 42 species beautiful photographed in their habitat in for instance Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, but also in Crete and Switzerland.
The photos are made over several years by Eric Breed, Wim Lemmers, Marijn van den Brink, Sjaak de Groot, Arie Peterse and most trips were guided by Vladimir Kolbintsjev.
The price of this little booklet is € 9,95 excl. p. p.
 Details on ordering etc. can be obtained from Eric Breed: info@tulippictures.eu

I picked up a copy of this book when last over in the Netherlands - the quality of the photographs make the book. There's a review of it by Richard Wilford in the 2013 issue of the Daffodil, Snowdrop and Tulip Yearbook. The Yearbook also has articles on:

- Cretan tulips (John Page)
- T. sylvestris in Yorkshire, UK
- Division 2 all-white daffodils (Brian Duncan)
- breeding miniature daffodils (Harold Koopowitz)
- an appreciation of Karel van der Veek
- daffodils in northern Spain
- a review of N. bulbocodium
- a review of hot-water treatment of daffodils
- climate change and daffodils
- rust on daffodils

together with articles on snowdrops by Matt Bishop, Kit Grey-Wilson and Alan Street as well as show reviews and various notes.  It's a damn good read. £11.95 from RHS or John Gibson at gibbo.john@ntlworld.com or see [url]johngibson-daffodils.co.uk[/url

[Maggi Young]

A Christmas Offer from Timber Press  : To gain a 30% discount on all titles and, for those in the UK,  free postage in.......Visit their  website and enter the code: FESTIVE30 at the checkout to get the discount on your order.

[David Shaw]

I have just taken receipt of three new books that some may find of interest. The first two are Kew monographs and the first thing I noticed about both was the increase in size and weight, the increase in valuable content and, of course the price. However, they are just as important and value-for-money as the earlier monograph titles.
The first is the brand new, ie this month, 'The Genus Tulipa' by Diana Everett. Whilst Diana is better known as a talented botanical illustrator she seems to have done her homework and shows an in-depth knowledge of the genus. Each of the many species has a two page spread with a written description, photo and detailed illustration all kept nicely together.
The second monograph, 'Hardy Heathers' by Charles Nelson actually came out in 2011 but I have only just got a copy. Charles is more verbose than Diana and gives more background 'chat' on the different species and their many, many named forms and varieties. The book is again illustrated with many photos and some illustrations.
I am sure that most of us dream of taking photographs to rival those shown on this web site - IRG, Bulb Log and the other various blogs, articles and diaries. The latest book to try and help us on our journey is Crowood press's 'Close-up and Macro Photography, by John Humphry. John explains the use equipment from compact cameras to, what now seem to be called, interchangeable lens cameras and how to get the best use out of them. Most of the photography is based on flowers but he also includes insects and inert objects.

[David Shaw]

“The Crossley ID Guide Britain & Ireland”
I know that this is a plant site but I also know that a very large number of you are also birders, so I would like to tell you about a new bird guide that we have just bought. I find most bird guides to be excellent if you are looking at stuffed specimens in a museum where all the labels have been removed, but challenging to use in the field. The Crossley Guide uses a completely different format in that for each species there is a large, composite picture showing the birds in different attitudes and at different distances away from the observer, one picture likely to be exactly as you are seeing the bird in the field. The book was only published in October; we received our copy on Friday and already are finding it to be of great use.
I don’t think that the book is likely to be easily available except from Amazon (30% off) . Go to the Amazon site and copy/paste the title above into their search engine and you will find that they have a ‘look inside’ feature. Look at this for yourself and make your own mind up. I can recommend it.
Oh, and a Merry Christmas to you all from the Publications Department!

[Maggi Young]

Many of us have been waiting for a long time to hear of the publication date of a book from the AGS by  the SRGC's most generous  plantspeople Margaret and Henry Taylor.
It seems the book, in the Mountain Flower Walk series, will be published early in  2014.
The Taylors' subject is the Picos and the Pyrenees - they are amply qualified to write on these areas and  give advice to others wishing to enjoy plant spotting hikes in these mountains. 

See the pre-publication offer here on the AGS website : http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/sales/books/flora/Mountain+Flower+Walks+The+Pyrenees+and+the+Picos/310/

[Maggi Young]

Forthcoming Pulsatilla Book :
Christopher Grey Wilson has decided to self-publish his new title "Pasque Flowers" -  details below

front cover

PASQUE-FLOWERS
The Genus Pulsatilla
A Guide for Gardeners, Horticulturists and Botanists

Christopher Grey-Wilson

Closely related to the anemones, pulsatillas or pasque-flowers are amongst the most exquisite of all mountain plants and an essential element in any alpine garden. This is the first book devoted to these charming and eagerly sought plants. The work is not only a survey of the genus and the identification of the various species but it also examines, in detail, their cultivation and place in the garden. All this is aided by sumptuous photographs of the species in the wild and in cultivation.

Christopher Grey-Wilson retired in 2011 as Editor of the Alpine Garden Society after twenty-one years. Before that, from 1968-1989, he was a Principal Scientific Officer at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. He has travelled widely in the mountains of Europe and Asia, in particular, and has written many books and articles over the years; Clematis, Cyclamen, Dionysia, as well as guides to European alpine plants, Mediterranean flowers, the flowers of western China and poppies. He was awarded a VMH by the Royal Horticultural Society in 2007 for ‘outstanding  service to horticulture’.

This book is a limited edition restricted to just 300 copies. Each copy will be numbered and signed by the author.

Book details:
Type: Hardback Cased - Facepaper
Size: 340 x 270 mm portrait
Pages: 216
Colour plates: 278
Maps: 2
Publication date: 15 January 2014
ISBN: 978-0-900048-76-6

Price per copy: £36.00

Post & packing per copy:
(Special rates possible for orders of 3 copies or more)
UK: add £3.50
EU Airmail: add £5.00
Elsewhere surface mail: add £6.50

Please email details of orders giving your name, address and payment method
Email: c.grey-wilson@talk21.com

Payment details:
Cheques made payable to Dr C. Grey-Wilson, Red Lion Barn,
East Church Street, Kenninghall, Norfolk, NR16 2EP, UK.

Direct payments
UK
Bank Sort Code 40-15-22; Account Number: 31817876

EU and elsewhere
IBAN (International Bank Account Number) GB57MIDL40152231817876
Swift Code/BIC: MIDLGB22

[Pauli]

Perhaps I am a little bit too nervous

I have emailed Mr. Grey-Wilson with an order for three books and asked for the reduced shipping rate - no answer in a week. I really want to get to books and there are only 300 of them....
Is Mr. Grey-Wilson absent?

[Maggi Young]

Herbert,
I believe there are several people waiting for a reply from C. Grey-Wilson - perhaps he is away or he may simply be disorganised.

I think there are still a majority of the 300 to be sold.

[Tim Ingram]

Maggi - if he is disorganised then he is not the only one! I think a bit more patience is in order.

[Pauli]

Patience is not my strongest virtue

[Maggi Young]

Patience is not my strongest virtue

     

While we are in the realm of old sayings, we might add that 'ounctuality sorry that should be  punctuality is the politeness of kings'  and that 'the customer is always right' !